"My favorite phrase in Josh Barro's much-discussed piece this week about who's rich and who's not was this one: "$400,000 isn't a lot of money - after you spend it." Josh's argument was that while many people with household income of $400,000 - or $200,000 - may consider themselves middle class, they're actually affluent. Nationwide, fewer than 5 percent of households make at least $200,000. In New York, the share is only modestly higher." This article expresses the idea that, in today's society, there is too much of a fine line between upper, middle, and lower class. This can help us throughout the project because, in Rome, there were very obvious lines between classes, so it is helpful to compare and contrast it to America's situation.

"President Obama is in Tennessee on Friday, along with the state's Republican governor and two Republican senators, to lay out his plan for free community college. The plan - which would require congressional approval - would apply to students attending a two-year college, including part time, so long as the college offered credits that could transfer to a four-year college or provided training that led to jobs." This article explores the idea that President Obama and the Republican Congress are considering passing the proposal to grant two years of free community college. From the New York Times, this article can help students work on and relate to the project because the issue of free after-high school education is a common dispute between the upper and lower class citizens all throughout America.